Publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex with a centerpiece man-made tropical-style lagoon and method for providing efficient utilization of limited use land

ABSTRACT

A publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex is disclosed, with a man-made tropical, pristine-clear lagoon as the centerpiece of the complex, with surrounding entertainment, educational, sports, and commercial facilities, the complex having controlled public access and providing the look and feel of a tropical beach with clear waters and sandy beaches. In addition a method for efficiently utilizing facilities and land that are vacant, underutilized, have limited uses, or that are contiguous to or nearby recreational, educational, sports, or commercial venues is disclosed. The method providing a publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex with a centerpiece man-made tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon. The method allows for generating revenue and increasing efficiency by pairing vacant sites, underutilized sites, limited use land, or sites that are contiguous to entertainment, educational, sports, and/or commercial venues with urban beach entertainment complexes. The complex preferably has a controlled public access, thereby allowing entrance upon payment of a fee.

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/990,141, filed May 25, 2018, which claims benefit of U.S. ProvisionalSer. No. 62/625,182, filed Feb. 1, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Ser. No.62/639,211, filed Mar. 6, 2018 and which applications are incorporatedherein by reference. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority ismade to each of the above disclosed applications.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a man-made publicly accessible urbanbeach entertainment complex having a man-made tropical-stylepristine-clear lagoon as the complex' centerpiece having at least onesurrounding entertainment, educational, cultural, sports, or commercialfacilities, the complex having controlled public access and providingthe sensation and feeling of being at a tropical beach with clear watersand sandy beaches.

The present invention further relates to a method for efficientlyutilizing facilities and land that are vacant, underutilized, withlimited use and/or are contiguous or nearby recreational, educational,cultural, sports, or commercial venues by providing a publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex with a centerpiece man-madetropical-style pristine-clear lagoon.

BACKGROUND

In the world, there are innumerable land sites, such as vacant land,that are underutilized due to different factors. There are also diverserecreational, educational, sports, and commercial venues that havecontiguous large pieces of land that could benefit from its development.Such sites, with limited or no use, generally have to pay monthly orannual maintenance fees or taxes, with little or no direct incomeresulting from its use. For example, it is estimated that in the U.S.,up to 25% of the total land area in cities is composed of vacant land(according to experts), and it is recommended that such spaces bemanaged more efficiently to meet the current and future requirements ofurban residents. This urban vacant land includes land that can be usedfor future real estate development, among other uses. Additionally,there are sites that have no use, such as greenfields, brownfields, oragricultural or uncultivated land that can be found relatively nearurban centers.

Examples of the diverse recreational, educational, sports, andcommercial venues with contiguous sites noted above are event arenas,museums, amusement parks, water parks, stadiums, golf courses,membership clubs, zoos, aquariums, shopping centers, universitycampuses, casinos, cruise ship ports, speed tracks, horse race tracks,and Olympic venues, among others.

It has been estimated that there are more than 100,000 of these types ofvenues around the world based on the inventor's research, where a largeportion of them have nearby or contiguous land that is currentlyunderutilized or has limited use, representing a large worldwide marketfor the implementation of new and innovative concepts that efficientlyutilize the aforementioned sites, and that drastically improve andchange the lifestyle of people living in close proximity to these sites.Additionally, many of these venues have large associated infrastructuresuch as parking lots, access routes, and large spaces that areunderutilized or with low utilization rates. For example, some stadiumsare used only once or twice per week, where the rest of the time theirexisting infrastructure has no alternative or additional use. The samehappens in the infield of horse and car race tracks, which often are notused or only used during racing events (i.e., and not for alternative oradditional purposes). In addition, some race tracks have closed and sothe structures are not being efficiently used.

It is also important to note that there are currently severalsignificant trends occurring around the world in connection with retailshopping. More specifically, shopping malls and stores are closing theirdoors at unprecedented rates. This makes available large empty spacesthat can be reinvented and used for other purposes. It is estimated thatone quarter of all shopping malls in the U.S. are expected to shutter inthe next five years (according to predictions by Credit Suisse). In manycases, such spaces are no longer offering what the public is lookingfor, like recreational and cultural activities, a gathering place tospend time with family and friends, additional amenities, and a settingto relax and improve physical and mental health.

Another significant recent trend is that golf courses have gone fromexplosive growth to high closure rates. More than 800 golf courses haveclosed in the U.S. over the last decade, according to Bloomberg. Thereason often proffered is that golf is not a family friendly sport,causing a declining interest from people who are looking for newactivities and experiences to share with their families and friends.Golf course closures leave operators with large pieces of land that maybe abandoned. This creates a large problem where vacant sites may end uptransforming into derelict sites. Again, closures reflect people'schanging preferences for entertainment and leisure, aiming for outdoorrecreational and cultural activities, and treasuring family and friend'stime, looking for a new and dream-like meeting point.

Therefore, the increasing availability of vacant, limited use land,underutilized land or land that is contiguous or nearby recreational,educational, sports, or commercial venues is an untapped market that hashad no innovations over the last years and that could be paired with anewly created complex that appeals to people living around the complexand which leads to more efficient uses.

In addition to the availability of underutilized spaces, urban life andnecessities have also evolved over the years. Publicly accessible openrecreational spaces have decreased due to urbanization and populationgrowth. It is often expressed that living in large cities has becomemore and more stressful. With more than 50% of people in the worldliving in urban areas as mentioned by the United Nations, there is anincreasing and very important need to provide attractive and versatilerecreational spaces, especially outdoors, that can help people get outof their stressful routines and relax in a peaceful, paradisiacalenvironment. According to these trends, the era of gathering in closedspaces such as malls, movie theaters, and confined gyms is waning, witha desire for open and paradisiacal spaces to improve the lifestyle ofpeople around the world.

Paradisiacal and tropical beaches have been found to be one of thepreferred destinations for people all over the world. The desire torelax and enjoy outdoor experiences is universal, especially duringsummer and warmer months. Tropical settings and beaches are one of themost preferred spots among international travelers. Additionally,beaches are very popular for domestic travelers, motivated to get awayfrom normal, everyday life and to relax and rejuvenate in a tropicalparadise. People in general seek to visit and be part of recreationaldestinations, especially close to the sea and beach areas. For example,in the U.S., the shoreline constitutes less than 10% of the total landarea (not including Alaska), but accounts for 39% of the totalpopulation, according to the National Ocean Service. However, many ofthe beaches found in the shoreline are not suitable for swimming, arevery windy have dark sand, and present safety concerns in terms ofcurrents, surf, marine life, rocks, and/or other associated risks. Thiscreates a situation where many people do not swim or practice watersports in or around such beaches.

Instead, people dream of white sandy beaches with tropicalturquoise-colored waters. Their dreams include being immersed in a beachsetting, with the look and feel of tropical environments, enjoying anidyllic lifestyle next to pristine-clear waters with natural wavemovement. Also, in these types of settings, in addition to swimming,practicing water sports is a popular activity demanded by people. Suchwater sports cannot be practiced in backyard or community pools.

Conventional swimming pools simply do not allow for the incorporation ofthese idyllic beach amenities. For the purposes of the presentinvention, and based on its worldwide definition, a conventionalswimming pool is defined as an impervious water body built out ofconcrete or similar materials, and that for its operation requires tofilter the complete water volume contained in the pool 4 times per day,and also requires maintaining a permanent residual chlorine level of atleast 1.0 ppm in the complete water volume according to regulations inFlorida such as Rule 64E-9 from the Florida Department of Health).

Even though a public pool provides a swimmable body of water, it doesnot resolve the key parameters required to generate a beach lifestylelook and feel, an urban beach entertainment complex, and the sensationof being in a tropical setting. Several of the reasons include: (i) veryhigh construction and operation costs, comprising electricity andchemical requirements, which limit their sizes—therefore only smallpools are built; (ii) general use of right angles, straight lines andartificial looking shapes; (iii) they do not generally have beach areaswith sand; (iv) the color of the water appears artificial and unnaturaldue to their small dimensions and low depths; (v) they do not have anatural wave motion since their sizes do not allow fetch length tocreate larger and more natural waves; (vi) they do not enable thepractice of water sports due to their low depths and small sizes; (vii)they have a strong chlorine or chemical smell; (viii) and generally theyare not surrounded by a tropical or beach-life scenery with docks. Inmore detail:

-   (i) Conventional swimming pools are very expensive to build and    maintain, and they are generally built out of thick concrete    structures with an artificial look.    -   For example, the “Fleishhacker Pool” located in California, with        a surface of 15,000 m², had to be closed in 1971 due to water        quality problems and high costs. There are several additional        examples of this happening around the world.    -   Based on real swimming pool construction costs, an Olympic sized        pool of around 1,000 m² costs about $1.8 million USD in direct        construction costs and uses more than 23,000 kWh of monthly        electricity and more than 25 gallons per day of chlorine,        equivalent to more than $6,000 in direct monthly operation        costs. Escalating the size and volume of such conventional pools        renders extremely high costs of construction, especially due to        the use of a thick concrete bottom with waterproof paint and        large and expensive equipment to maintain water quality.        Therefore, since escalating the size of conventional swimming        pools is economically and technically difficult, they do not        achieve large enough dimensions to resemble tropical seas and/or        to practice water sports.    -   Operating costs of large pools are high and become economically        prohibitive, due to an intensive electricity consumption to        filter the complete water volume 4 times per day, and due to the        use of chlorine to maintain a high and permanent chlorine level.        Therefore, pools have a very high carbon footprint, which        impacts the sustainability of such structures.-   (ii) Public swimming pools are usually built with straight lines,    straight angles and rectangular shaped geometries, which divert from    natural and curved-shaped water bodies that resemble tropical seas    or shores.-   (iii) Pools do not usually include sandy beach areas, generating a    more artificial look. Conventional pools are usually built out of    thick concrete and coated with paintings or tiles, which generate    the look of an artificial structure used to contain water, but not    the look of an idyllic beach with white sandy beaches that resemble    that of the tropics.-   (iv) The color and tonality of the water achieved by swimming pools    is usually artificial-looking due to their depths. Since pools    usually have depths of up to 1.5 m, the reflection of the sun from    the bottom of the pools do not generate an intense and deep    turquoise color, such as the pristine turquoise color found in    tropical seas. Also, since pools are small in size, they convey the    sensation of being immersed in an artificial rather than a    beach-like setting.-   (v) Due to their small sizes, the wave action generated in pools    looks artificial with poor surface water movement. The small sizes,    and specifically the short lengths of pools (longest distance from    one point on the perimeter of the pool to another point located in    the perimeter of the pool) create a situation where the wind does    not influence the surface of a small pool noticeably. The influence    of the wind over a large distance above the water is called “fetch    length”, which influences the surface wave movement of the water.    Small pools with small surfaces do not allow fetch length to occur    and therefore do not generate larger, more natural-looking waves and    wave action.-   (vi) Conventional pools also do not usually provide the conditions    to practice water sports, as many water sports require large surface    areas and greater depths, which cannot be attained by conventional    swimming pool construction and operation technologies since it is    technically and economically unviable to build and maintain at a    large scale. Water sports not usually practiced in small pools    comprise sailing, rowing, windsurf, water skiing, cable skiing, use    of flow-riders, stand up paddling, jet skiing, and kitesurfing,    among others. For example, stand up paddle boarding, which is among    the fastest growing watersport in the U.S., cannot be practiced in    small pools since the desired sensation of paddling in a vast space    is not achieved.-   (vii) Many pools have strong chlorine or chemical smell, since their    operation technologies and worldwide regulations require them to    maintain a permanent and high residual chlorine level in the water    in order to provide proper disinfection. Therefore, the chemical    smell inhibits the illusion of being in a tropical paradise, and    instead conveys the feeling of being in an artificial setting.    Usually, pools need to maintain a minimum residual chlorine level of    1 ppm, which generates a highly noticeable chlorine smell.-   (viii) Pools are generally not surrounded by tropical or beach-like    scenery such as palm trees, and do not normally have docks or    pontoons, as water sports are not practiced in such small pools.    Therefore, the look and feel associated with idyllic beach life and    a tropical paradise, which includes the practice of several water    sports, is not created.

Based on the above, since life in cities has become more stressful andgoing to a Caribbean or other tropical beach is out of reach for mostpeople (e.g., due to time, money, distance, or other constraints), thepresent invention overcomes, in a new and innovative manner, theaforementioned urban problem of lack of recreational spaces, by bringingbeautiful tropical settings with pristine-clear waters and white sandybeaches to underutilized urban land or sites through a man-made urbanbeach entertainment complex with a centerpiece pristine-clear lagoon.Such entertainment areas are designed to change the lifestyle of peoplearound the world by providing an idyllic beach-life setting thatpromotes relaxation and the enjoyment of pristine waters, by whichconscious or subconscious stress can be reduced and mental and physicalhealth can be improved. Different activities can be held around thecenterpiece lagoon—including recreational, social, cultural, and sportactivities which aim to transform the location into a beautiful,desirable landscape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a man-made publicly accessible urbanbeach entertainment complex with a man-made tropical, pristine-clearlagoon as the complex' centerpiece with surrounding entertainment,educational, sports, and/or commercial facilities, the complex havingcontrolled public access and providing the look and feel of a tropicalbeach with clear waters and sandy beaches.

The present invention further relates to a method for efficientlyutilizing facilities and land that are vacant, underutilized, havelimited uses, or that are contiguous to or nearby recreational,educational, sports, or commercial venues by providing a publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex with a centerpiece man-madetropical-style pristine-clear lagoon. The method allows for generatingrevenue and increasing efficiency by pairing vacant sites, underutilizedsites, limited use land, or sites that are contiguous to entertainment,educational, sports, and/or commercial venues with urban beachentertainment complexes. The complex preferably has a controlled publicaccess, thereby allowing entrance upon payment of a fee.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided apublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex, the complexcomprising: a large centerpiece lagoon, the lagoon having a bottom, aperimeter, and a minimum surface area of 10,000 m² to recreate atropical lifestyle look and feel, and wherein a majority of the bottomis constructed with a flexible, plastic material, the lagoon notpresenting a noticeable chemical smell in its majority as inconventional pools that maintain a permanent residual chlorine level of1 ppm, and wherein the lagoon further includes: at least one bathingzone within the lagoon, the bathing zone having a zero-entry edge at theperimeter, wherein the bathing zone comprises a localized disinfectionsystem, whereby an increased chemical concentration is provided in thebathing zone; at least one water sports zone located within the lagoon,the water sports zone comprising a water depth of at least 1.8 meters atits deepest point; at least one sand beach area and a rest areasurrounding the perimeter of the lagoon, wherein the sand of the sandbeach area has a light color thereby resembling a tropical beach, andwherein the sand beach areas and rest areas have a surface area of atleast 2,500 m²; a water supply system, operatively connected to a watersupply, for providing both filling and make-up water for the lagoon; awater treatment system arranged and configured to utilize at least 50%less electricity compared to a conventional swimming pool centralizedfiltration system, wherein the filtration capacity and filtration watervolume is at least 50% lower than for a conventional swimming poolfiltration system that filters the complete water volume 4 times perday; a physical barrier surrounding at least a portion of the urbanbeach entertainment complex, the barrier being arranged and configuredto limit individual access to the complex or its centerpiece lagoon; anaccess control system located in at least one portion of the physicalbarrier, wherein the access control system is arranged and configured toselectively permit entry of individuals into at least a portion of theurban beach entertainment complex; and at least one ancillary facilitylocated within the complex, selected from the group of commercial,recreational, educational, cultural, residential, and sports facilitiesin order to allow different events and activities to be held within thecomplex.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a methodfor efficiently utilizing limited use land by creating a publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex, the method comprising:selecting a site with a minimum total surface of 16,000 m2, wherein thesite is selected from vacant land, underutilized sites, limited useland, or land that is contiguous or nearby recreational, educational,sports, or commercial venues, has a minimum surrounding population of500.000 people within a 50-mile radius connected by road access, and hasa water supply with sufficient availability for use at the site;constructing a centerpiece lagoon, the lagoon having a bottom, aperimeter, and a surface area between 10,000 m² and 200,000 m² torecreate a tropical lifestyle look and feel, wherein a majority of thebottom is constructed with a flexible, plastic material, and wherein atleast one portion of the lagoon further includes a zero-entry edgeresembling a natural beach edge: establishing at least one sand beacharea and a rest area surrounding the perimeter of the lagoon, whereinthe sand of the sand beach area has a light color thereby resembling atropical beach, and wherein the sand beach areas and rest areas have asurface area of at least 2,500 m²; connecting a water source to thelagoon with a water supply system, the water supply system providingboth filling and/or make-up water for the lagoon; incorporate a watertreatment system for treating water in the lagoon, wherein the watertreatment system is arranged and configured to utilize at least 50% lesselectricity compared to a conventional swimming pool centralizedfiltration system, wherein the filtration capacity and filtration watervolume is at least 50% lower than for a conventional swimming poolfiltration system that filters the complete water volume 4 times perday; delimiting at least a portion of the lagoon, the sand beach area,and the rest area with a physical barrier, wherein the area within thephysical barrier further creates an urban beach entertainment complex,the barrier being arranged and configured to limit individual access tothe complex; locating an access control system in at least one portionof the physical barrier, wherein the access control system is arrangedand configured to selectively permit entry of individuals into at leasta portion of the urban beach entertainment complex; and establishing atleast one ancillary facility located within the entertainment area,selected from the group of commercial, recreational, educational,cultural, residential, and sports facilities; whereby individual entryfees provide revenue for the urban beach entertainment complex, therebyproviding an efficient use of a facility or land that has limited use.

Accordingly, embodiments constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention provide people all over the world living nearurban centers the possibility of getting away from their routineeveryday lives and enjoying a beautiful beach-like tropical setting witha pristine-clear lagoon with white sandy beaches as its centerpiece.These publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complexes may becomethe meeting point of the 21^(st) century, changing the lifestyle ofpeople around the world.

These and various other features as well as advantages, whichcharacterize the present invention, will be apparent from reading thefollowing detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers representcorresponding parts throughout:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the urban beach entertainmentcomplex according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a side schematic view of an embodiment of thezero-entry edge and chemical application system

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B show different embodiments ofthe urban beach entertainment complex according to the system and methodof the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration of the urban beach entertainmentcomplex along with its physical barrier, access control system, andother features.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram describing a preferred sequence for allowing acontrolled access to at least one portion of the urban beachentertainment complex through an access control location.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram describing a preferred method of practicingthe present invention.

FIG. 11 is an illustrative population density map by which the desiredarea may be determined in connection with the location of the vacant,limited use, underutilized site, or land that is contiguous to existingamenities or facilities.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show a top plan schematic layout of an embodiment ofthe urban beach entertainment complex constructed within the centralspace of a horse racecourse.

FIGS. 13A, 13B, 14A and 14B show a top plan schematic layout of anembodiment of the urban beach entertainment complex constructed withinlimited use sites, corresponding to parking lots, in the contiguous siteto the shopping mall.

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of the access control system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention discloses a man-made publicly accessible urbanbeach entertainment complex with a man-made tropical-style lagoon as thecomplex' centerpiece with surrounding entertainment, educational,sports, and/or commercial facilities, the complex having controlledpublic access and providing the look and feel of a tropical beach withclear waters and sandy beaches.

The present invention further relates to a method for cost-efficientlyutilizing facilities and land that are underutilized or are contiguousto or nearby recreational, educational, sports, or commercial venues byproviding a publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex with acenterpiece man-made tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon. The methodallows for generating revenue and increasing efficiency by pairingvacant sites, limited use sites, underutilized sites or sites that arecontiguous to entertainment, educational, sports, and/or commercialvenues with the development of urban beach recreational complexes with acenterpiece man-made tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon, wherein thecomplex has controlled public access and therefore allows entrance ofthe public for a fee in at least one section of the complex. Bytransforming such sites into tropical paradises by creating urban beachentertainment complexes with a man-made tropical-style pristine-clearlagoon with white sandy beaches as its centerpiece, efficient use ismade of the sites with revenue resulting from charging an entry fee tothe complex and other revenues resulting from the complex' activities.It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the ultimategoal of the publicly accessible urban beach complex is a profitable use.

As referenced herein, a “tropical-style lagoon” is a large water bodywith crystal clear waters, with a water tonality and coloration rangingfrom turquoise to emerald, which is naturally generated in tropicalsettings (i.e., near the tropics) where depths range from 0.5 meters andup to 6 meters or higher. Such tropical-style lagoons have light-coloredbottoms, generally from light colored sand, wherein their depthdifference creates different tonalities within the same water bodies,with clearer waters at shallower depths and more intense-colored watersat deeper depths. These tropical-style lagoons constitute the typicalscenery of the Caribbean as internationally recognized and as known tothe average public.

Also, as used herein, the term “urban” refers to a type of setting andlocation that has road connections and access, and that is surroundedwith a population of at least 200,000 people within a 30-mile radius.

One advantage of the present invention is creating a piece of tropicalparadise in cities in a cost-efficient way, by providing a publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex with a centerpiece largetropical-style pristine-clear man-made lagoon that allows generatingrecreational, cultural, sports, educational, and commercial activitiesaround the lagoon; and therefore provide a desirable meeting point inthe 21^(st) century.

A further advantage of the invention is providing a method forefficiently utilizing sites such as vacant land, sites that arecurrently underutilized, or that are contiguous or nearby educational,sports, recreational, or commercial venues. The method of the presentinvention transforms such sites into tropical paradises by creatingurban beach entertainment complexes with a man-made tropical-stylepristine-clear lagoon and white sandy beaches as its centerpiece,wherein efficient use is made of the sites with a potential profitresulting from charging an entry fee to the complex (as well as revenuesfrom the complex' other activities).

These cost-efficient publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplexes represent a completely new concept that allow people to visita vacation-like space anywhere in the world, even just a few blocks awayfrom home, providing a solution for the growing demand for newrecreational spaces and beach-like retreats in sites that were not usedfor this purpose before. Complexes constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention transform sites into a recreationalfamily destination, and upgrade any venue into the next generation ofentertainment. For example, if one were to ask 50 years ago where didpeople went to work out, people responded that they went to the park, orthat they went for a run in the street, and when asked today peoplerespond that they go to the gym. In the same way, when people want to goto the beach, they generally have to travel long distances by car or byplane, and have to spend a significant time for transportation. However,the present invention creates a beach that is located close to theirhomes and therefore it will represent a major change in people'slifestyle.

These publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complexes and theircenterpiece large pristine-clear lagoons with a tropical look and feelprovide an incomparable aesthetical landscape, with turquoise coloredwaters of vast dimensions that produce a relaxing and idyllic sensation.Therefore, these settings create an extremely attractive and spectacularlocation, where the surroundings can be used for activities that todayare held in considerably less attractive places and with considerablyinferior overall conditions. Therefore, these urban beach recreationcomplexes, and their centerpiece large pristine-clear lagoons with atropical look and feel should become the meeting point of the 21^(st)tcentury.

I. DIFFERENCE WITH EXISTING LOCATIONS/ACTIVITIES

As previously noted, the era in which confined places, such as malls andmovie theaters are used as gathering and meeting points is declining. Bycreating and operating an urban beach recreation complex with a tropicalambiance including a pristine-clear lagoon surrounded by sandy beaches,an incomparable setting for a 21st century meeting place is created.Accordingly, the urban beach recreational complexes may replaceconventional promenades, and public parks with an urban beach settingwhere different cultural, recreational, educational, and commercialactivities will take place.

With respect to shopping malls, as previously mentioned, customertendencies have changed, with consumers spending more on experiencessuch as travel, entertainment and food. This, along with the increasingtrend of online shopping, has led to the closure of many stores andmalls around the world. By having these publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complexes with a man-made pristine-clear lagoon with atropical look and feel as its centerpiece, and incorporating shoppingcenters in its surroundings, this solution can help preserve the mallbusiness by providing more than simply a point-of-sale to customers(e.g., by providing a new and transformational shopping experience). Thecustomers will be able to enjoy a full day at the mall, either shopping,eating, lounging or relaxing in common areas (the term “hanging out” isoften used to describe these sorts of activities in connection with amall). The customers will, at the same time, be able to use alladditional amenities and enjoy a beach day with tropical surroundings.This is unprecedented and it is anticipated to have a considerableimpact on this market, where successful shopping center designs wouldincorporate these urban beach recreation complexes, which compriseentertainment, dining, and leisure components. Shopping centers need toprovide unique and memorable experiences that will keep customers comingback frequently. Therefore, malls that are looking to renew theirofferings and become part of the 21^(st) century meeting point, willfind it desirable to build and incorporate publicly accessible urbanbeach complexes in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Additionally, activities such as jogging and walking have been held inclosed spaces or in public parks with vegetation, but there is noworldwide reference to publicly accessible urban beach settings thatprovide the opportunity to appreciate a beautiful tropical-stylecrystalline lagoon similar to tropical seas.

Still further, there is a growing demand for outdoor weddings in idyllicsettings and a movement away from closed and confined wedding venues.One popular alternative is a tropical beach wedding. Accordingly, apublicly accessible urban beach developed according to the principles ofthe present invention may provide a popular location for weddingceremonies and celebrations.

Other activities and events that have been normally held in lessattractive locations are concerts, which are held either in closedstadiums and arenas, or in open vacant sites that are conditioned onlyfor such events, and generally do not have beautiful landscapes orsurroundings.

A complex constructed in accordance with the present invention willcreate a beautiful setting and include a large number of activitiessurrounding the centerpiece tropical-style lagoon and that will revolvearound it. The features of the complex may include nighttimeillumination, bars and restaurants to meet with friends and family,screens, stages, and amphitheaters to house different recreational,cultural, educational, or sport activities—all leading to an environmentin which it is possible to have a wonderful experience and to improvepeople's lifestyle.

II. DIFFERENCE WITH POOLS AND WATER PARKS

It is important to note that these publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complexes will be very different from conventional waterparks. Current water parks have a completely different concept as theirmain objective is providing slides, rides and water features forvisitors. Such water parks do not provide a tropical environment with abeach-like look and feel, but rather provide visitors a set of rides andexperiences within the park. On the other hand, the publicly accessibleurban beach entertainment complexes of the present invention aim toprovide a centerpiece contemplative man-made tropical, pristine-clearlagoon that enables different recreational, cultural, sports,educational, and commercial activities to be conducted in itssurroundings. These activities simply would not otherwise exist withoutthe centerpiece lagoon. Therefore, instead of having a water park withseveral small-sized pools and rides operating under conventionalswimming pool technology, the urban beach entertainment complex providesa meeting point of the 21^(st) century by enabling a series ofrecreational, cultural, sports, educational, and commercial activitiesto happen around the centerpiece lagoon with a beautiful and invitingsetting.

In terms of the technologies used to build and operate the centerpiecetropical-style pristine-clear lagoon, it is important to understand thatconventional swimming pools do not provide the conditions for theseidyllic beach lifestyle amenities to exist. Even though a pool mayprovide a swimmable body of water, it does not resolve the keyparameters required to generate a beach-like look and feel, an urbanbeach entertainment complex, and the sensation of being in a tropicalsetting.

Additionally, water park costs are much more expensive and considerablyhigher than for an urban beach recreation center as the ones from thepresent invention.

For example, a water park in South Dakota that includes three smallwater features of approximately 1,000 m², 600 m², and 700 m² (2,300 m²in total) using swimming pool technology has an estimated constructioncost of around $5,000,000 (only considering the three water features andassociated equipment), wherein an urban beach entertainment complex witha lagoon of 1.2 hectares (12,000 m²) would have an estimatedconstruction cost of about $1,800,000 (only considering the centerpiecelagoon and associated equipment).

Additionally, the operation cost of the referred water park is estimatedas $20,000 per month considering electricity and chemicals, wherein theoperation cost of the referred 1.2 hectare centerpiece lagoon would beestimated as $4,000 per month considering electricity and chemicals.This is based on a study conducted by the independent engineering firmStantec, who designed and built such waterpark located in South Dakota.

Contrary to conventional public swimming pools, these publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complexes, with large man-madepristine-clear lagoons have a number of advantages as described in thefollowing Table 1.

TABLE 1 Conventional Swimming Man-Made Large Pristine Description PoolClear Lagoon Sizes Small sizes, where usually the At least 8,000m²-10,000 m² largest water parks have of water surface swimming poolswith areas of 1,000 m²-1,500 m² Construction costs Prohibitive for largesurfaces Low cost, does not require a and volumes using current completethick concrete materials and techniques of bottom as conventionalswimming pools swimming pool construction standards Electricity use Veryhigh due to intensive At least 50% less than the requirement offiltration of electricity consumption from the complete water volume 4swimming pools times per day Chemical use Very high due to intensive Atleast 50% less than the requirement of chemical use chemical consumptionfrom in pools to maintain a swimming pools permanent and high chlorinelevel of 1 ppm in the complete water volume Shapes Artificial lookingdue to use Curved shapes, round of right angles, straight lines,geometries, natural looking and rectangular shapes Use of beach areaswith sand Very unusual Yes, in order to create a tropical-style look andfeel Color of the water Artificial looking color due to Natural lookingcolor due to shallower depths more intense tonalities caused by deeperdepths Wave motion No natural wave motion Natural wave motion similargeneration due to small sizes to the sea due to fetch length and nofetch length to that enables the generation of generate larger wavemotion natural looking waves Practice of water sports Not possible dueto small Yes sizes and low depths Chemical smell Yes, high due to theuse of a Not noticeable in most of the permanent chemical residuallagoon, significantly fewer chlorine levels chemicals are used,producing little to no chemical smell Tropical setting Not commonlysurrounded Yes, surrounded by a man- by tropical settings (unless madetropical environment located in an actual tropical environment) Use ofdocks and piers Not applicable Yes, to access deeper parts of the lagoonto practice watersports and/or contemplate its vastness Look & feelSmall artificial pools with Large pristine-clear lagoons high concreteuse, similar to and white sandy beaches, backyard pools resembling theCaribbean

The aforementioned swimming pool construction and operation technologieshave been always used in water parks. As noted above, water parks havedifferent objectives, construction methods, operation technologies, andmany other characteristics that separate them from the urban beachentertainment complex of the present invention. Several differences ofthe present technology compared to conventional water parks aredescribed in the following Table 2.

TABLE 2 Urban Beach Recreation Description Conventional Water ParkComplex Use Temporal and sporadic use Purpose of meeting point forfrequent everyday use Activities Mostly short rides involving Cultural,sports, recreational, water commercial, and educational activities willbe found throughout the urban beach recreational complex AdditionalAmenities and Basic food and shopping Shopping centers, facilitiesrelated to the water park restaurants, gyms, bars, event centers, andother facilities overlooking the centerpiece tropical-style lagoon, withthe goal of becoming the meeting point of the 21^(st) century, wheresuch amenities and facilities are arranged and configured to be directedtoward the centerpiece lagoon Cultural events Not applicable Yes, withconcerts and other cultural activities within the urban beach recreationcomplex Hours of Use Daytime limited to warm Daytime and nighttime useweather with different activities Look & feel Conventional pools withLarge centerpiece pristine- high concrete use, focused clear lagoon andwhite sandy on children and offering beaches with the goal of shortrides, with becoming the meeting point rollercoasters, water slides, ofthe 21^(st) century and similar rides Use of vertical structures Largeuse of imposing Low use of vertical vertical structures - e.g.,structures such as water slides and similar features Use of watercraftNot found or applicable Yes, with the use of small and large watercraftfor activities such as sailing, boating, canoeing, rowing, kayaking,among others Practice of aquatic sports Not found or applicable Yes,such as the use of kiteboards, practicing water skiing (barefoot skiing,cable skiing, jet skiing), flyboarding, paddleboarding, parasailing,wakeboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, among others Construction costsUsually relatively shallow Low cost, does not require a pools with thickconcrete complete thick concrete walls and bottom, with costs bottom asrequired by up to 10 times larger than conventional swimming pool thatof the tropical-style construction standards lagoons of the presentinvention Water treatment Use of conventional Use of innovativetechnologies swimming pool technology technologies with lowerelectricity and chemical consumption than swimming pools Overall settingArtificial look similar to Natural look similar to a swimming poolstropical setting Shapes Generally right angles, Curved shapes, roundstraight lines, rectangular geometries, natural looking shapes,artificial looking Use of beach areas with sand Very unusual Yes, inorder to create a tropical-style look & feel with the beach areas andadditional rest areas having a surface of at least 2,500 m² Wave motionNo natural surface wave Allows natural wave motion motion generation dueto similar to the sea due to small sizes and no fetch fetch length thatenables the length to generate larger generation of natural looking wavemotion waves Overall setting Not commonly surrounded Yes, surrounded bya tropical by tropical settings environment and the use of docks andpiers Recreational, social, cultural Not applicable Yes meeting point

By creating these publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplexes and generating a beach lifestyle anywhere in the world in acost-efficient, sustainable way, it may be possible to generate valueand increase the overall appraisal of the contiguous or nearby sites. Inaddition, the creation of these complexes may thereby also increase thevalue of nearby buildings, houses, and any other facilities or amenitiesthat are close to the complex. Appraisal may be even higher when thereare commercial or residential buildings overlooking the urban beachrecreational complex and its tropical-style pristine-clear lagoondirectly, due to the beautiful scenery and the sensation of being on abeach-front property. The urban beach recreational center may alsocreate and increase value in the entire zone where it is located, as itincreases urban value due to the creation of beach-life close topeople's homes.

III. URBAN BEACH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX AND LAGOON PARAMETERS

According to the present invention, a man-made publicly accessible urbanbeach entertainment complex is provided, wherein the complex comprises acenterpiece large tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon with a tropicallook and feel.

It is important to note that these urban beach entertainment complexesfrom the present invention are not anticipated to include the use ofartificial surf wave generation technologies in the tropical-styleman-made lagoon. Use of such technologies and devices would interferewith practicing other types of watersports such as boating, kayaking,paddle boarding and use of small watercraft. However, it will also beappreciated by those of skill in the art that an artificial surf wavegenerator might be employed in an adjacent pool area not connected tothe lagoon (and/or connected by a narrow channel).

The tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon according to the urban beachentertainment complex of the present invention has a bottom, aperimeter, and a minimum surface 8,000 m²-10,000 m² in order to create abeach lifestyle and a tropical look and feel in the publicly accessibleurban beach entertainment complex. The use of smaller lagoons would notmirror a tropical setting. Instead, it would resemble a conventionalbackyard or hotel swimming pool that does not provide the conditionsnecessary to feel immersed in an idyllic beach lifestyle.

Additionally, the tropical-style lagoon has a maximum surface of about200,000 m² since larger surface areas do not result in the desired lookand feel. For example, when the lagoon areas surpass 200,000 m² and aperson looks toward the opposite shore, he or she may not see theopposite waterfront area along with additional facilities and amenities.Thereby, the desired waterfront recreational experience as disclosed inthe present invention is not created. It will be appreciated by those ofskill in the art that the lagoon may be arranged and configured in sucha manner as to have a length which is longer than a width. In such aninstance, larger sizes may be constructed while still achieving thedesired look and feel.

Turning now to FIG. 1A, a representative urban beach recreationalcomplex 1 with a centerpiece tropical-style man-made lagoon 2 isillustrated. The lagoon 2 comprises at least one zero entry beach area 3a, a bathing zone 3 b, and a water sports zone 3 c, each of which arelocated within the large tropical-style man-made lagoon 2. FIG. 2illustrates a schematic side view of an embodiment of the zero-entrybeach edge 3 a.

Now with reference to FIGS. 1A and 2, the bathing zone 3 b is adjacentthe zero-entry beach edge 3 a, wherein the zero-entry edge preferablyresembles the natural, soft slope of a tropical beach or a natural lake.The zero-entry edge creates an entry into the lagoon starting generallyat an elevation slightly above the mean water level 4 a, passing throughthe mean water level at the lagoon perimeter 4 b and continuing to dropbelow the mean water surface toward the center 4 c of the lagoon. Theslope of the zero-entry edge, represented by the angle α designated at 5in FIGS. 2 and 3) is defined by the angle between the horizontal line(generally parallel to the mean water surface) and the sloped beachentry. Preferably the angle is between 5% and 30%. This range generallyresembles natural beach edges with soft slopes and provides people onthe beach area 6 and bathers an unobstructed and good view of the vastcrystal-clear waters.

Also, the bathing zone 3 b includes a localized disinfection system thatprovides an increased chemical concentration in such zone. The localizeddisinfection system comprises a dispensing outlet arranged andconfigured to apply disinfecting chemicals to the water volume withinthe bathing area. The localized disinfection system is best seen in FIG.3 wherein a perimeter chemical application system 7 a and bottomchemical application system 7 b are shown. The chemical applicationsystem includes one or more systems selected from the group comprisingnozzles, injectors, jets, piping, and inlets.

The chemical application system may be located in the perimeter of thelagoon and generally bounded by the swimming zone, whereby the primaryinfluence of the disinfecting chemicals is mainly within the swimmingzone. The chemical application system may be preferably located in thebottom of the swimming area, including a plurality of dispensingoutlets, with the dispensing outlets being located at the bottom of thelagoon within the swimming zone, whereby the primary influence of thedisinfecting chemicals is mainly within the swimming zone. There canalso be combinations of perimeter chemical application systems 7 a andbottom chemical application systems 7 b. It will be appreciated that thenumber and specific location and configuration of the selected chemicalapplication system is best defined on a case by case basis, taking intoaccount the potential number of bathers, water volume, water flowswithin the swimming area into the rest of the tropical-style lagoon,among others.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the water sports zone 3 c comprisesa minimum water depth range of at least greater than 1.5 meters andpreferably greater than 1.8 meters. This minimum depth allows thepractice of water sports that would not be possible in conventionalsmall-sized swimming pools. The water sports zone can have a variety ofdifferent slopes at the bottom, depending on its design andconfiguration. With total lagoon 2 size between 10,000 and 200,000 m², aseries of water sports can be practiced in the water sports zone 3 c,such as sailing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, water skiing(barefoot skiing, cable skiing, jet skiing), flyboarding,paddleboarding, parasailing, rowing, wakeboarding, windsurfing,kiteboarding, kitesurfing, among others. Preferably, for practicingaquatic sports such as water ski and similar, the size of the lagoon 2must be approximately 15,000 m2 or more.

As previously mentioned, conventional swimming pools located in waterparks are small, usually in the range of 1,000-1,500 m², with maximumdepths of generally less than 1.5 meters. Therefore, they do not conveythe feeling of being in the beach or generate a beach lifestyle, and donot allow the practice of several water sports. On the contrary, thetropical-style pristine-clear lagoon 2 constructed in accordance withthe principle of the present invention, in the deepest part of the watersports zone 3 c, has a minimum bottom depth of 1.8 meters—and in much ofthe water sports zone 3 c are often even deeper. This allows practicinginnumerable water sports with various craft that are not found inconventional swimming pools.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B, severalpossible embodiments of a complex are shown, with similar items andstructures identified with similar designations. In the variousembodiments, at least one sand beach area 6 is provided, which surroundsthe large tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon 2, wherein the sand has alight color resembling a tropical beach. In a preferred embodiment, thesand colors are similar or in the range of the following colorsaccording to the RAL color scale: RAL 9001, RAL 9002, RAL 9003, RAL9010, RAL 9016, RAL 9018, RAL 1001, RAL 1014, RAL 1004 or similarcolors.

The sandy beach areas 6 are generally configured directly in front ofthe zero-edge beach edge 3 a located in at least a portion of theperimeter of the centerpiece lagoon, in order to provide the feeling ofcoming out of the water onto the beach. The beach areas 6 and additionalrest areas have a minimum surface are to allow recreational,educational, sports, and commercial activities. The beach areas 6 andadditional rest areas have a surface preferably of at least 2,500 m²which allows significant use of such area for different activities suchas concerts, plays, screenings, sports, among other activities andevents.

Also, contrary to conventional pools that have hard edges and closedshapes, the tropical-style centerpiece lagoon is preferably designed tohave curved shapes with round corners that are associated with naturalwater bodies and beaches, conveying the feeling of being in an idyllicbeach paradise.

Further, in an embodiment of the invention at least one portion of theurban beach entertainment complex comprises the use of trees and plantsto create a tropical look. In a preferred embodiment, the vegetation 8resembling a tropical setting is located in the beach areas oradditional rest areas surrounding or nearby the zero-entry beach edges 3a and/or sand beach areas 6.

Referring to FIG. 8, the urban beach entertainment complex 1 furtherincludes a water supply system 9 operatively connected to a watersupply, comprising a source, pumps, devices, and other appropriate fluidconduits for supplying filling and make-up water to the lagoon 2. Itwill be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the devices andconduits for supplying filling and make-up water to the lagoon includepiping, nozzles, waterfalls, inlets and outlets, and valves, amongothers. The water make-up system is preferably arranged and configuredto supply filling and make-up water to the lagoon in order to maintain awater volume of at least 80% of the designed water volume permanently inthe water body.

The make-up water must have iron and manganese concentrations of up to 2ppm in order to provide the centerpiece tropical-style pristine-clearlagoon with suitable water that will not change its appearance whenundergoing treatment. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat, for example, water with high iron and manganese concentrationscause a very noticeable color change when being treated. Also, turbidityof the make-up water should not be higher than 8 NTU in order to avoidhaving cloudy water (i.e., such water will not provide a tropical lookand feel and transparency). Since the levels of filtration in thecenterpiece lagoon of the present invention are lower than the ones usedin swimming pools, it is important to control the inlet water qualityand that it complies with the above parameters.

The man-made tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon 2 of the presentinvention, is preferably the centerpiece of the urban beach recreationalcomplex 1 and is built and maintained with innovative technologies thatachieve low construction and operation costs. Such costs are up to 10times lower than construction costs associated with conventional thickconcrete or tile bottoms used in swimming pools. Further, such operationcosts are up to 10 times lower than conventional swimming pool operationcosts that require filtration of the complete water volume 4 times perday.

By having low construction and operation costs, and at the same timeallowing to achieve an aesthetically pleasing and high physicochemicaland microbiological water quality, a publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex 1 is provided in a cost efficient way.Accordingly, the method of the present invention provides acost-efficient use of sites that are vacant, previously underutilized,or that are contiguous to, or nearby recreational, educational, sports,or commercial venues, providing thus profitability to such sites.

In order to provide a cost efficient urban beach entertainment complex,the construction methods for building the lagoon shell must typicallynot include a concrete bottom of the type used in construction methodsfor swimming pools in the majority of the lagoon. Conventional swimmingpool construction requires that the shell of the pool (bottom and walls)is built out of concrete with a specific thickness, generally with aminimum of 2 to 6 inches, and that may be reinforced in order to providestructural stability and resistance based on the type of soil foundbelow the pool. Also, such bottom concrete is generally either paintedwith a waterproof coating or is covered with tiles, making theconstruction process more difficult and expensive.

On the other hand, the present invention requires that a large portionof the bottom of the large centerpiece tropical-style lagoon is coveredwith a flexible plastic material to provide waterproofing andcontainment properties, while also providing a different sensation thana typical swimming pool concrete bottom. Preferably, the bottom surfaceof the water sports zone within the tropical-style pristine-clear lagoonis constructed such that at least 80% of its surface is covered with aflexible plastic material. The plastic material is selected from thegroup comprising polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, rubbers,polypropylene, among others. In the preferred embodiment, polyethylenemay be utilized. The color of the plastic material ranges from purewhite to a light blue or light brown color.

The bottom of the tropical-style lagoon may be additionally constructedwith different materials to provide additional layers. In one embodimentof the invention, the bottom of the large lagoon is covered with amineral layer that creates an essentially stagnant water body forholding the water volume. In another embodiment of the invention, thebottom can be covered with a thin layer of shotcrete, with a thicknessof less than 6 inches.

It is important to note that currently, technologies exist for buildingthe large tropical-style centerpiece lagoon for less than $600,000 (US)per acre (such amount will vary based on the country, total size, andspecific local variables), and to maintain an excellent physicochemicaland microbiological water quality using minimum amount of chemicals andenergy, in a cost-efficient manner. As noted above, and in comparison, aconventional water park located in South Dakota, U.S., with threerelatively small water features of a combined area of 2,300 m² has atotal direct construction cost of more than US$5 million (resulting inmore than US$20,000,000 per hectare in a direct comparison and onlyconsidering the water feature surfaces). This is based on a studyconducted by the independent engineering firm Stantec, who designed andbuilt such a waterpark located in South Dakota.

Also, the publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complexcomprises a low-cost treatment system that provides a water treatmenttechnology that uses at least 50% less electricity compared toconventional swimming pool centralized filtration and disinfectionsystems. The water treatment technology comprises a filtration systemthat has a capacity and filtration water volume that is at least 50%smaller than for conventional swimming pool filtration systems thatfilter the complete water volume four (4) times per day.

For example, using conventional pool technology, for a 30,000 m² lagoonwith a volume of 45,000 m³, the filtration water volumes would be180,000 m³ per day (in order to achieve filtration of the complete watervolume four (4) times per day=45,000 m³×4=180,000 m³/day). On the otherhand, the present invention's preferred water treatment technologyincludes a filtration system that filters at least 50% less than that ofa conventional swimming pool filtration system. Following the sameexample, the filtration capacity of the present invention and watervolume would be a maximum of 90,000 m³/day, thereby achievingconsiderable electricity and equipment savings.

In an embodiment of the invention, the centerpiece tropical-style lagoonuses a modular treatment system 10, wherein the modular treatment systemincludes one or more elements selected from the group comprising acontainerized machine room, skid mounted systems, and/or water treatmentequipment. In a preferred embodiment, such modular treatment system isarranged and configured to be plug and play. This facilitates itsconnection to other elements, equipment, systems, piping, andstructures. In another embodiment of the invention, the modulartreatment system 10 is portable and can be deployed and installed onsite in a short period of time. As another advantage, the modulartreatment system 10 may be operated on a temporal basis, depending onseasonality, its configuration and demand. An example of a preferredmodular treatment system which may be utilized in connection with thepresent invention is a set of containers that have been manufactured inorder to house the different systems and equipment that can bemanufactured locally or outsourced from other cities or even countries.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the low-cost treatmentsystem does not generate a noticeable chemical smell in most of thelagoon as in conventional swimming pools that have a permanent 1 ppmresidual chlorine level throughout the complete water volume. Sincethere is practically no noticeable chemical smell in most of the lagoon,it helps achieve the object of providing the look and feel of an idyllicbeach with white sandy beaches resembling the Caribbean beaches.

In another embodiment of the invention, the water treatment technologyfor operating the centerpiece tropical-style lagoon must use at least50% less chemicals than a conventional swimming pool disinfection systemthat requires maintaining at least 1 ppm of chlorine permanently in allof the water volume, such as conventional public swimming poolregulations from the CDC (U.S. Center for Disease Control), Rule 64E-9from the Florida Department of Health, and Title 22-Division 4-Chapter20 of the California Code of Regulations, among others.

Still further, the centerpiece tropical-style lagoon 2 may preferablyhave a natural surface wave motion due to its large surface. Thehorizontal distance of the lagoon 2 in the direction of the wind cancreate a fetch length, where the fetch length is the horizontal distancealong the open water over which the wind blows and generates waves.Therefore, the look of the tropical-style lagoon's waves allows toachieve a natural look since the waves are similar to the sea—and arevery different to the ones created in conventional small-sized swimmingpools. Depending on the horizontal distance that is parallel to the windblowing over the lagoon, the waves created over the lagoon will behigher and similar to the water movement over the sea. The wave heightincreases exponentially with the fetch length and wind speed, which isan effect not achievable in conventional pools with small sizes.

In an embodiment of the invention, the tropical-style pristine-clearlagoon operates in an essentially closed cycle. In this embodiment, thewater volume is not significantly renewed through recirculation with awater source (e.g., a well) and/or an open body of water or river.

In an embodiment of the invention, the tropical-style pristine-clearlagoon has a minimum vertical transparency of 1.2 meters in order toresemble the tropical seas with pristine-clear waters. Such depth allowsgenerating an intense color with crystal clear waters, where the bottom11 of the tropical-style lagoon allows providing such intense color andtonality due to the effect of the sun's reflection over the bottom anddue to the transparency of the water.

There are new and innovative methods for building and maintaining largewater bodies with excellent microbiological and physicochemical waterquality and high transparency for different uses, which have beenprotected by patents in the U.S. and around the world, such as describedand shown in the following granted U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. Nos.7,820,055, 8,070,942, 8,062,514, 8,790,518, 9,708,822, 9,470,007,9,080,342, 8,465,651, 9,062,471, 8,753,520, 9,957,693 and 9,470,008.Each of the foregoing patents are hereby incorporated by reference andmade a part hereof.

Such innovative methods, systems, and apparatuses have very lowconstruction costs, very low operation costs due to the use of minimalamounts of chemicals and energy for maintaining water quality, and as analternative, may be used for building and/or maintaining the largepristine-clear lagoons with a tropical look and feel. These patentedmethods, systems, and apparatuses can be used for building and/ormaintaining the large pristine-clear lagoon 2 either by using alltechnologies, or some of them, or parts as described in suchtechnologies.

The aforementioned incorporated patents describe the various operationsand processes for treating the water in large lagoons in a manner whichefficiently and economically maintains the water. While reference shouldbe had to such patents for detailed descriptions, a brief description isnext presented as a representative method to maintain the water in thepublic access lagoon. First, the water treatment and filtration processrequires collecting water and storing such water in a container having abottom able to be thoroughly cleaned by a suction device. Second, duringa 7 day interval the process requires treating the water in thecontainer by periodically adding disinfectant agents to said water toestablish an ORP of at least 500 mV for a period of time dependent onthe temperature of the water being treated. Third, the method requiresactivating the operation of mobile suction means in order to suction aportion of said water in the container containing settled solids toprevent the thickness of settled material from exceeding 3 mm. Lastly,the method requires filtering such portion of water suctioned by themobile suction means and returning the filtered water to said container.Using these processes, at least 50% less filtration capacity and watervolume is filtered compared to a conventional swimming pool filtrationsystem are utilized that requires filtering the complete water volume 4times per day.

It is important to mention that the previously mentioned patentedtechnologies have been used in real estate developments which havecompletely different concepts and configurations. In addition, suchdevelopments do not consider massive public usage and do not create ameeting point of the 21^(st) century. Instead, the use in real estatedevelopments is very different since such lagoons are intended for useby owners and residents, do not have a public controlled access (e.g., aticket entry fee) for large scale use, and may not be located in siteswith a large urban population concentration. Therefore, they cannotgenerate the meeting point of the 21^(st) century with surroundingamenities and facilities such as restaurants, amphitheaters, stages,kiosks, rental centers, shopping centers, gyms, promenades, bars, coffeeshops, among others. Accordingly, the model for real estate is quitedifferent. However, if there is a real estate development, hotel, orprivate development near the publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex, or in one zone in the perimeter of thecenterpiece tropical-style lagoon that has private access to such zone,the principles of the present invention require at least one publicaccess zone—that is separated from such developments—and that has acontrolled access for public use as a mixed use.

Therefore, as it has been mentioned thorough the specification, swimmingpool technologies cannot be scaled into large water bodies. For largewater bodies there are some other technologies used—such as the onesused in surf lagoons, aesthetic or ornamental lagoons—but which do notachieve the pristine clear nor water quality conditions of the presentinvention, and would not be able to create the urban beach entertainmentcomplex of the present invention.

In an embodiment of the invention, evaporation control chemicals areadded to the lagoon's water, which allows reducing natural evaporationup to 50% compared with natural evaporation rates. It will beappreciated that the chemicals must be approved for use in recreationalwater bodies. Examples of a preferred evaporation control chemicalinclude alcohol based evaporation control chemicals or silicon basedevaporation control chemicals, which create a non-visible layer on topof the surface water layer and therefore reduces evaporation by avoidingthe direct contact between the water surface and the surrounding air.The control chemicals operate under different temperatures and are ableto withstand wind conditions. The evaporation control chemical isrequired to be NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) approved for use inrecreational water bodies, either being approved under NSF 50 (forswimming pool chemicals) or NSF 60 (for drinking water chemicals). Anexample of a preferred evaporation control chemical is the Heatsavr®Crystal Lagoons Formula, manufactured by the company Flexible Solutionsof Canada. Such chemical may be added manually, by the water make-upsystem 9 and/or the modular treatment system 10.

The urban beach entertainment complex also comprises at least one accesscontrol system 12 which preferably limits and controls user access on adaily basis to at least a portion of the complex. The access controlsystem is located in at least one portion of the physical barrier 16.The access control system 12 includes one or more access controllocations 13 that have a control system 14 to allow controlled entry tothe public through such location. Such control system may include gatedentries, turnstiles, biometric systems, access readers, securitybarriers, biometric systems, among others. In a preferred embodiment,the control system comprises a gated entry with a turnstile.Additionally, FIG. 9 shows a sequence 15 in which steps 15 a through 15c allow to perform a controlled access upon payment of a fee into atleast a portion of the urban beach entertainment complex.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic of an embodiment of the present invention,where a physical barrier 16 limits the entry of people to the urbanbeach entertainment complex 1, and allowing access to the complexthrough the access control locations 13.

The public will access the urban beach entertainment complex through theaccess control locations 13, as the rest of the limits of the urbanbeach entertainment complex are required to be limited physically toavoid non-controlled access.

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of the access control system 12 showing apoint of sale 24, used when people are paying the entry fee. In anotherembodiment, people may use their pre-purchased tickets or seasonalpasses to access at least a portion of the urban beach entertainmentcomplex, and may not require paying an entry fee on site. In the shownembodiment, a person buys a ticket on site, then optionally passesthrough a security screening 23, and then uses one of the access controllocations 13 comprising at least one control system 14, in this case aturnstile, to access the urban beach entertainment complex.

The access control system is configured to allow public access to thecomplex, and requires that a specific barrier is employed. Such barrieris defined as a physical limitation structure implemented at the limitsof the urban beach entertainment complex, or the portion of it that willbe controlled for access. The barrier may include one or morecombinations of elements selected from the group comprising fences,walls, moats, natural vegetation, buildings and portions of buildings,or other types of barriers in order to keep the public from accessingthe urban beach entertainment complex 1 through a location other thanthe access control system 13 locations. It will be appreciated that thebarriers will vary from complex to complex depending on the location andexisting structures (if any). It will also be appreciated that one wayemergency exits may be provided in areas of the barriers and/or exitswhich generally trigger warning horns and sirens.

Preferably, the access control system is configured to allow access toat least 500 people per hour into the urban beach entertainment complex1, or to a portion of the same. For example, for an urban beachentertainment complex 1 with a total area of 40,000 m², the accesscontrol system 12 may include two different access control locations 13,each one having at least four control systems 14 such as turnstiles thatallow the public to go through such turnstiles and access the urbanbeach entertainment complex at a combined rate of at least 500 peopleper hour. Preferably at least one of the control systems 14 and accesscontrol locations 13 can be opened or closed depending on public demand.

The urban beach entertainment complex also includes at least oneancillary facility selected from the group of commercial, recreational,educational, cultural, residential, and/or sports facilities surroundingthe centerpiece tropical-style man-made lagoon in order to allowdifferent activities to be held within the urban beach entertainmentcomplex. The ancillary facilities 17 are selected from the groupcomprising restaurants, shopping centers, event centers, gyms, stores,sport facilities 17 e, and educational or cultural venues based on itsconfiguration, among others. Ancillary facilities 17 are represented inFIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B. Such ancillary facilities andamenities may be sourced from a third party.

The urban beach entertainment complex further preferably includes atleast one beachfront amphitheater with stages and/or spaces for housingand/or showcasing different events, educational activities, concerts,cultural activities, sport events, and similar content. Also, the urbanbeach entertainment complex may comprise at least one large screen forshowcasing movies, sport events, conferences, simulcasts, live streamingof content, e-sports, educational activities, events, and similarcontent.

The urban beach entertainment complex from the present invention mayalso include an illumination system 18 (best seen in the perimeter ofthe lagoon 2 in FIG. 8), wherein the tropical-style lagoon isilluminated in order to allow its use at nighttime or under enclosedstructures. Underwater illumination allows the clear delimitation of theperimeter of the lagoon 2 and also illuminates the water throughunderwater lights that create a completely new aesthetic look of thenightlife beach ambiance. The illumination system 18 comprises LEDunderwater strip lights or underwater spot lights. The illuminationsystem may be used throughout the complete perimeter of thetropical-style lagoon 2, or only in some portions of the lagoon. Anembodiment is depicted in FIG. 8, wherein the illumination system 18 isused on a portion of the lagoon 2 perimeter.

Docks 19 (best seen in FIG. 8) may be provided within the pristine-clearlagoon, which is not the case in swimming pools, since thetropical-style pristine-clear lagoons allow the practice of aquaticsports and require docks to access deep portions of the lagoon. FIG. 8depicts the use of docks 19 within the tropical-style lagoon 2.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF METHOD

Referring now to FIG. 10, a method of the present invention 20comprising steps 20 a to 20 g provides a method for an efficient use offacilities and land that are vacant, underutilized, or are contiguous ornearby recreational, educational, sports, or commercial venues byproviding a publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex with acenterpiece man-made tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon. The methodprovides for a revenue opportunity allowing for the creation of publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complexes that are be located inunderutilized or vacant sites with specific population density andaccess infrastructure, with the objective of generating the meetingpoint of the 21^(st) century.

The method of the present invention comprises searching and defining asite that has been underutilized or that has no use, wherein the siteselection is a key part of the method. Sites that can be selected forthis purpose comprise vacant land, underutilized land, and sites thatare contiguous or nearby diverse venues, such as recreational,educational, sports, and commercial venues.

Recreational, educational, sports, and commercial venues that may haveunderutilized contiguous sites comprise event arenas, amusement parks,water parks, museums, stadiums, golf courses, membership clubs, zoos,aquariums, shopping centers, university campuses, casinos, cruise shipports, speed tracks, horse race tracks, Olympic venues, among othersites.

The site according to the method of the present invention mustpreferably have a minimum surface of 16,000 m2 in order to create thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex, and isstrategically located so that it has a minimum surrounding population of500,000 people within a 50-mile radius.

As seen in FIG. 11, an illustrative population density map is shown, bywhich the desired area may be determined in connection with the locationof the vacant and/or underutilized site by analyzing the populationdensity surrounding the location of the potential vacant and/orunderutilized site 21 within a 50-mile radius. FIG. 11 denotespopulation density by different color and/or pattern intensity withinthe image, wherein the selected location is surrounded by a dottedcircle line representing a 50-mile radius, and wherein the populationanalysis has been made and it has been determined that such area has apopulation density of at least 500,000 people.

The urban beach entertainment complex and method for providing efficientutilization of limited use land from the present invention aim to bringa new way of life and transform urban centers into the meeting point ofthe 21^(st) century, completely changing urban centers that have highnearby population and providing those people with the possibility ofbeing immersed in a tropical lifestyle close to their homes. These urbancenters target the nearby surrounding population, aiming for highrepetition rates of people going into the urban beach entertainmentcomplex to have a favorable experience, shop, participate in culturalactivities, watch movies, practice water sports, have lunch or dinner,grab a cup of coffee, or other activities. Creation of such complexesmay very well have an important impact as it is intended that such urbanbeach entertainment complexes will have significant attendance.

A few prophetic embodiments of how some aforementioned venues can beefficiently utilized with the present invention are shown in FIGS. 12A,12B, 13A, 13B, 14A, and 14B. FIGS. 12A and 12B depict one embodiment ofthe present invention, where a horse race track which has a largeunderutilized area inside the track 21 a. The underutilized area shownin FIG. 12A is transformed as shown in FIG. 12B into a beautiful areawith a centerpiece tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon 2, creating anurban beach entertainment complex 1. FIGS. 13A, 13B and 14A, 14B depictanother embodiment of the present invention, where a portion of parkinglots 21 b shown in FIGS. 13A and 14A are converted into an urban beachentertainment complex in FIGS. 13B and 14B having a centerpiecetropical-style pristine-clear lagoon 2.

It will be appreciated that access infrastructure, such as roads andpublic transportation, must be in place to transport visitors to thecomplexes (i.e., in order to be able to reach the complex at reasonablecosts and within a reasonable amount of time).

Additionally, the site can preferably have a predefined water source andsufficient availability for use. The type of water may be fresh,brackish, saline, or seawater, depending on availability. Sources ofwater may be selected from the group comprising the sea, groundwater,potable water, surface water, wells, or others.

The water source should not be contaminated with industrial residualsthat require an extensive industrial pre-treatment and that cannot beremoved with simple and conventional pre-treatment methods such asoxidation or filtration processes. For example, the water source mustpreferably not be contaminated with industrial water residues such asAluminum and hydrocarbons. Extensive industrial pre-treatment systemsusually require the use of large sedimentation basins that also createan industrial appearance—which conflicts with the tropical beachsensation that is an objective of the present invention.

Once the site has been selected, the method creates the development of apublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex 1 with a largeman-made tropical, pristine-clear lagoon 2 as it centerpiece. The lagoon2 preferably has the look and feel of tropical seas and beaches therebycreating an idyllic beach sensation. The tropical look and feel ambiancerefers to providing a feeling of being in an idyllic setting, with alarge water body and beach area, simulating, for example, the sensationof being in the Caribbean.

The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex comprises alow-cost treatment system that provides a water treatment technologythat uses at least 50% less electricity compared to a conventionalswimming pool centralized filtration systems. The water treatmenttechnology comprises a filtration system that has a capacity andfiltration water volume that is at least 50% smaller than that ofconventional swimming pool filtration systems (e.g., that filter thecomplete water volume 4 times per day). Further, in an embodiment of theinvention, the water treatment technology for operating the centerpiecetropical-style lagoon must use at least 50% less chemicals than aconventional swimming pool disinfection system (e.g., that requiresmaintaining at least 1 ppm of chlorine permanently throughout the watervolume). Therefore, the lagoon 2 presents less chemical smell than aconventional pool.

The urban beach entertainment complexes may, for example, be located inpublic parks. However, a physical barrier and/or enclosure must exist tohave a controlled public access into the urban beach entertainmentcomplex 1 or to a portion of it, such as a control system and accesscontrol locations 13.

Additionally, in order for the efficient use of the limited use site,facility or land, the method comprises charging an entry fee to allowaccess to at least a portion of the urban beach entertainment complex.Such fee can be charged previously to visiting the urban beachentertainment complex, or it can be charged on site based onavailability and other factors, such as demand, and total occupationrates, among others. The fees can be variable depending on age, numberof people within groups, seasonality, or others. In addition, fees maybe based on different season, monthly, weekly, or other passes. It willalso be appreciated that electronic ticketing using cell phones andother devices may be used in addition to printed materials and/or cards.It is appreciated that there may also be seasonal passes (such asweekly, monthly, or yearly passes) that may be purchased online orprevious to visiting the urban beach entertainment complex.

In an embodiment of the invention, the centerpiece lagoon andsurrounding facilities can be accessed publicly only after payment of anentry fee collected prior to entry. However, in some embodiments, it maydesirable for at least a portion of the entertainment, cafes, andrestaurant areas to be available to guests without payment of a fee. Inthose embodiments, users of the beach and water sports areas may becharged a fee for access to those areas.

Therefore, the method includes the opportunity to generate revenue forsites that have been underutilized or that have no current use such asvacant land, limited use land, and land that is contiguous or nearbyvenues such as recreational, educational, sports, and commercial venues,by creating a novel beach entertainment complex with a large tropical,pristine-clear lagoon as its centerpiece, and where there is controlledaccess and where a ticket/fee is charged to enter the site.

Based on the population within a 50-mile radius, and the amount ofdemand that the urban beach recreation complex will create, it isexpected that a minimum of 100,000 annual visitors will access thetropical-style setting, preferably 500,000 annual visitors, and a mostpreferred over 1,000,000 visitors per year. Visitors are anticipated andtargeted to be mainly from the surrounding population and are expectedto repeat their visit to the urban beach entertainment complex manytimes. Due to the beautiful and recreational nature of these beach-likesettings that allow relaxing, shopping, practicing water sports,swimming, eating, among other activities, it is expected that annualattendance will be massive, aiming for a large percentage of nearbypopulation, and also an additional percentage of tourists that willattend the publicly accessible urban beach recreational complexes.

It has been calculated that by creating a complex, utilizing theprinciples of the present invention, the number of visitors to such anurban beach entertainment complex may achieve attendance on the order of100,000 to 1,000,000 and up to 6,000,000 visitors per year. Based on themarket and socio-economic status of the cities, the entry fees areexpected to be in the range of USD$5 to USD$150, preferably in the rangeof USD$10 to USD$20, rendering a direct yearly income of USD$1,000,000to USD$120,000,000 only based on access tickets.

Therefore, for example, an urban beach recreational center with atropical-style centerpiece lagoon of 16,000 m² in size, with a yearlyvisitor number of 500,000 persons, and an entry fee of US$15 couldgenerate US$7,500,000 in direct revenue from tickets, where the totalconstruction cost of the centerpiece lagoon would be in the order ofUS$2,400,000 and annual operating costs would be less than $100,000 USDper year (considering chemicals and electricity).

V. SHOPPING MALL EXAMPLE

As another prophetic example, it must be noted that the method of thepresent invention can be used in the shopping mall industry, wherein aportion of the parking lots located in currently underutilized shoppingmall space can be transformed into an urban beach entertainment complex.Three scenarios are derived from a project evaluation, including aconservative scenario, a base case scenario, and an upside scenario,wherein revenues and profits associated with installation, operation andentry-fee based access of the urban beach entertainment complex are asfollows in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Description Conservative Base Case Upside Attendance 250,000persons 500,000 persons 750,000 persons per year per year per year EntryTicket US$30     US$30     US$30     Gross Revenue US$30,000,000US$60,000,000 US$90,000,000 Years 1-4 Internal Rate of 67.3% 129.8%172.1% Return Return on Cost  32%   68%  105%

The scenarios set forth in Table 3 do not consider an event center,large restaurant areas, or sports venues, but does consider ancillariessuch as a beach center with rentals. Therefore, return rates areexpected to reach significant levels, thereby creating a very attractivemarket and investment by enhancing the efficiency of limited use land—inthis case, the parking lot of a current shopping mall.

It is important to note that around the world some locations have beenmodified by for example adding sand on the border of natural rivershaving poor water quality. With only this improvement, more than 500,000people have visited every year. Examples of such places include LujanBeach in Mendoza, Argentina and Encarnacion in Paraguay. But neither ofthe two examples of public access locations have created a meeting pointof the 21^(st) century, where an urban beach entertainment complex witha centerpiece tropical-style pristine-clear lagoon is provided withancillary facilities and wherein there are beach centers, rentals,stages, and similar facilities and amenities to enjoy the day and nightwith family and friends. Also, it is not believed that such locationshave as great an opportunity for profitability as in the presentinvention's method, which based on calculations and economic evaluationshave yield an internal return rate of up to 172% and even more,depending on a specific scenario. The ability of cost-efficientlytransforming limited use land such as underutilized sites or facilities,that are contiguous or nearby recreational, educational, sports, orcommercial venues into a highly profitable business by creating an urbanbeach entertainment complex has never been seen before, and will havegreat social and economic benefits.

The urban beach entertainment complex and method for providing efficientutilization of limited use land from the present invention alsoconsiders including entertainment and commercial amenities into theurban beach entertainment complex, through rental or facilitation ofspace, facilities, services such as food and drinks, activities, orequipment. Therefore, based on studies it is expected that thepreviously calculated income from direct access fees can even doublethrough such ancillary businesses.

Some amenities surrounding the centerpiece tropical-style pristine-clearlagoon comprise:

-   -   Natural and beachfront amphitheaters with stages and spaces for        concerts, e-sports, and others.    -   Large screens for showcasing movies, sport events, conferences,        educational activities, live events, exclusive streaming of        shows and other events, and others.    -   Unique waterfront event centers and venues for conferences,        weddings, tradeshows, fairs, meetings, and others.    -   Food and drink sectors with permanent or temporal facilities        such as bars, restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, and        others.    -   Sport sectors such as gyms, running trails, soccer fields,        tennis fields, and others.    -   Shopping centers and facilities.    -   Kiosks    -   Rental Centers for coordinating activities or renting equipment.

An amphitheater section 17 a may also be created within the urban beachentertainment complex, wherein the amphitheaters 17 a can house a largescreen 17 b and/or stage 17 c in order to house different activities(See FIGS. 1A and 1B).

Additional activities to be performed using the large tropical-stylepristine-clear lagoon directly or indirectly are: Floating water parkscomprising Wibit® or Aquaglide® facilities, Banana boating, Holographiclight displays, Water shows, Floating stages, among others.

The different activities and shows can be performed live on site or canbe showcased and/or streamed through a large screen configured to beable to be seen by a predetermined number of people. Such activities andshows comprise concerts, shows such as waterskiing shows, drone lightshows, aqua-climb shows, synchronized swimming, ceremonies, movies, TVSeries, documentaries, sports comprising beach volleyball, e-sports,games and gaming activities, competitions comprising drone racing,streaming of live or pre-recorded material, among others.

The beach entertainment complexes can be mostly outdoor, or can be fullyor partially covered with domes or structures that allow year-round usesand activities in locations with strong seasonality, and that allowcreating winter events inside the domes. Such domes can be structural orinflatable, and can be arranged and configured to over the completetropical-style lagoon or a portion thereof.

Additional amenities that are configured within the beach entertainmentcomplex comprise beach cabanas, bars, retail, waterfront or beachfrontterraces, restaurants, food trucks, picnic and BBQ areas.

In an embodiment of the invention, the centerpiece pristine-clear lagoon2 is heated through an external heating system partially or completelyusing the waste heat from an industrial process. For example, thepristine-clear lagoon may be heated indirectly using a heat exchangerthat exchanges hot water from the cooling stage of an industrial orcommercial process with water from the pristine lagoon. The waterheating may be performed through a heating system (not shown) such as aheat exchanger that indirectly transfers the heat from the industrial orcommercial process' cooling stage into the lagoon's water.

In another embodiment of the invention, the bathing zone of thetropical-style man-made lagoon is heated through a heating system thatallows providing heating to the zero-entry beach edge of the lagoon toprovide higher temperature to the water in the bathing area.

In another embodiment of the invention, the make-up water is returnedinto the bathing zones to control the temperature of the water in suchbathing zone, especially in hot weather locations where generally themake-up water will be colder than the water in the centerpiece lagoon,and therefore such make-up water helps cool down such zone.

Additional equipment can be included in the perimeter or within thecenterpiece lagoon in order to generate surface textures and movement ofthe water in the form of aesthetic waves, wherein the aesthetic waves donot have an amplitude of more than 50 cm in most of the lagoon.

VI. ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1A and 1B, and FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B show a planor aerial view of a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of theurban beach entertainment complex 1, wherein the complete urban beachentertainment complex 1 is physically enclosed through a physicalbarrier 16 that allows having at least one access control location 13which allows access to the urban beach entertainment complex 1. Thecenterpiece pristine-clear lagoon 2 has at least one zero-entry beachedge 3 a and a sand beach area 6 surrounding at least one portion of thecenterpiece lagoon. Amphitheaters 17 a can also be included in the urbanbeach entertainment complex, facing the centerpiece pristine-clearlagoon 2, that are able to house different entertainment events, andwhich can also include a large screen 17 b. The urban beachentertainment complex also comprises different recreational,educational, commercial venues and facilities 17 such as an event center17 d, which can be temporal or permanent installations.

FIG. 6 shows an aerial view of a schematic configuration of anembodiment of the urban beach entertainment complex 1 corresponding to amixed use, wherein a portion of the urban beach entertainment complex 1is physically enclosed through a physical barrier 16 that allows havingat least one access control location 16, which allows access to theurban beach entertainment complex 1. A portion of the centerpiecetropical-style lagoon 2 is accessed through a control system 14, whereinother portions are accessed by residents or allowed visitors of aresidential project 22. The urban beach entertainment complex alsocomprises different recreational, educational, commercial venues andfacilities 17, which can be temporal or permanent installations.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various other changes in the form anddetails may be made therein without departing form the spirit and scopeof the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex, the complex comprising: a) a large centerpiece lagoon, thelagoon having a bottom, a perimeter, and a minimum surface area of 8,000m² to recreate a tropical lifestyle look and feel, and wherein amajority of the bottom is constructed with a flexible, plastic material,the lagoon not presenting a noticeable chemical smell in its majority asin conventional pools that maintain a permanent residual chlorine levelof 1 ppm, and wherein the lagoon further includes: i. at least onebathing zone within the lagoon, the bathing zone having a zero-entryedge at the perimeter, wherein the bathing zone comprises a localizeddisinfection system, whereby an increased chemical concentration isprovided in the bathing zone; ii. at least one water sports zone locatedwithin the lagoon, the water sports zone comprising a water depth of atleast 1.8 meters at its deepest point; b) at least one sand beach areaand a rest area surrounding the perimeter of the lagoon, wherein thesand of the sand beach area has a light color thereby resembling atropical beach; c) a water supply system, operatively connected to awater supply, for providing filling or make-up water for the lagoon; d)a water treatment system arranged and configured to utilize at least 50%less electricity compared to a conventional swimming pool centralizedfiltration system, wherein the filtration capacity and filtration watervolume is at least 50% lower than for a conventional swimming poolfiltration system that filters the complete water volume 4 times perday; e) a physical barrier surrounding at least a portion of the urbanbeach entertainment complex, the barrier being arranged and configuredto limit individual access to the complex or its centerpiece lagoon; f)an access control system located in at least one portion of the physicalbarrier, wherein the access control system is arranged and configured toselectively permit entry of individuals into at least a portion of theurban beach entertainment complex; and g) at least one ancillaryfacility located within the complex, selected from the group ofcommercial, recreational, educational, cultural, residential, and sportsfacilities in order to allow different events and activities to be heldwithin the complex.
 2. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 1, wherein at least 80% of bottom of the lagoon in thewater sports zone is constructed with the plastic material.
 3. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1,wherein the plastic material is selected from the group comprisingpolyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, rubbers, and polypropylene.
 4. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1,wherein the color of the plastic material is white, light blue or lightbrown.
 5. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex ofclaim 1, wherein the color of the sand in the sand beach area isselected from the following colors according to the RAL color scale: RAL9001, RAL 9002, RAL 9003, RAL 9010, RAL 9016, RAL 9018, RAL 1001, RAL1014, or RAL
 1004. 6. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 1, wherein the zero-entry edge of the lagoon has aslope between 5% and 30%, whereby the slope resembles a natural beachedge with a soft slope.
 7. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, further comprising a localizeddisinfection system in the bathing zone, the localized disinfectionsystem including a dispensing outlet arranged and configured to applydisinfecting chemicals to the water volume within the bathing zone. 8.The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 7,wherein the localized disinfection system includes devices selected fromthe group comprising nozzles, injectors, jets, piping, and outlets. 9.The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 7,wherein the localized disinfection system is located at the perimeter ofthe lagoon and generally bounded by the swimming zone, whereby theprimary influence of the disinfecting chemicals is mainly within theswimming zone.
 10. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 1, wherein the localized disinfection system includes aplurality of dispensing outlets, with the dispensing outlets beinglocated at the bottom of the lagoon within the swimming zone, wherebythe primary influence of the disinfecting chemicals is mainly within theswimming zone.
 11. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the lagoon in water sportszone includes a variety of different slopes and depths.
 12. The publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein thewater sports zone is arranged and configured mainly for small watercraftto operate within the water sports zone, and wherein the water sports tobe practiced in the water sports zone are selected from the groupcomprising: sailing, boating, canoeing, rowing, kayaking, water skiing,flyboarding, paddleboarding, parasailing, wakeboarding, windsurfing,kiteboarding, and kitesurfing.
 13. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the perimeter of the lagoonincludes curved shapes and round corners, whereby the lagoon resembles anatural water body.
 14. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, further including tropical vegetationlocated in the sand beach area and additional rest areas, whereby atropical setting is created
 15. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the lagoonis in the range of 8,000 m² to 200,000 m².
 16. The publicly accessibleurban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the water supplysystem is arranged and configured to maintain a water volume in thelagoon of at least 80% of the designed water volume permanently.
 17. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1,wherein the water supply system includes devices selected from the groupcomprising: piping, nozzles, waterfalls, inlets, outlets, and valves.18. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim1, wherein the make-up water has iron and manganese concentrations of upto 2 ppm and turbidity of up to 8 NTU.
 19. The publicly accessible urbanbeach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the water treatmentsystem includes a modular treatment system and wherein the modulartreatment system includes elements selected from the group comprising:containerized machine rooms, skid mounted systems, and water treatmentequipment.
 20. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complexof claim 19, wherein the modular treatment system has a plug and playconfiguration.
 21. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 1, wherein the access control system is located in atleast a portion of the physical barrier.
 22. The publicly accessibleurban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the access controlsystem is located anywhere within the premises of the complex.
 23. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1,wherein the access control system is configured to permit entry ofindividuals into at least a portion of the urban beach entertainmentcomplex based on information received by a ticket, an entry fee, aseasonal pass, though membership, by association to an admissionsprogram, as guests of the ancillary facilities, through electronicticketing, electronic ticketing using cell phone and other devices, aprinted material, a card, among others.
 24. The publicly accessibleurban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the ancillaryfacilities include event arenas, museums, amusement parks, water parks,stadiums, golf courses, membership clubs, temporary accommodationfacilities such as hotels, zoos, aquariums, shopping centers, universitycampuses, casinos, cruise ship ports, speed tracks, horse race tracks,and Olympic venues, among others.
 25. The publicly accessible urbanbeach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the water treatmentsystem is arranged and configured to: a. collect water and storing suchwater in a container having a bottom able to be thoroughly cleaned by asuction device, b. during a 7 day interval, treating the water in thecontainer by periodically adding disinfectant agents to said water toestablish an ORP of at least 500 mV for a period of time dependent onthe temperature of the water being treated, c. activating the operationof mobile suction means in order to suction a portion of said water inthe container containing settled solids to prevent the thickness ofsettled material from exceeding 3 mm, d. filtering such portion of watersuctioned by the mobile suction means and returning the filtered waterto said container, whereby at least 50% less filtration capacity andwater volume is filtered compared to a conventional swimming poolfiltration system are utilized that requires filtering the completewater volume 4 times per day.
 26. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the water treatment system isarranged and configured to utilize at least 50% less chemicals than aconventional swimming pool disinfection system that requires maintainingat least 1 ppm of chlorine permanently in all of the water volume. 27.The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1,wherein the lagoon is arranged and configured to create a fetch length,when exposed to the wind, due to the size and length of the lagoon,whereby a natural wave motion is created on the surface of the lagoonwhich is similar to that of natural lakes.
 28. The publicly accessibleurban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the lagoonoperates in an essentially closed cycle, whereby the water in the lagoonis not significantly renewed from an open body of water.
 29. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1,wherein the water in the lagoon has a minimum vertical transparency of1.2 meters, whereby the lagoon water transparency resembles the pristineclear waters of tropical seas.
 30. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, wherein evaporation control chemicalsare added to the water of the lagoon, whereby evaporation is reduced upto 50% compared to natural evaporation rates.
 31. The publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein theaccess control system includes at least one location in the physicalbarrier.
 32. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complexof claim 31, wherein the access control location includes a controlsystem, wherein the control system is selected from the group comprisinggated entries, turnstiles, access readers, security barriers, biometricsystems.
 33. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainment complexof claim 1, wherein the physical barrier includes at least one elementselected from the group comprising: fences, walls, moats, naturalvegetation, and buildings.
 34. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, wherein the access control system isarranged and configured to allow access to at least 500 people per hourinto the urban beach entertainment complex.
 35. The publicly accessibleurban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, further comprising atleast one ancillary facility selected from the group comprisingamphitheaters having a stage, event centers, kiosks, rental centers,shopping centers, gyms, promenades, sports fields, restaurants, bars,and coffee shops.
 36. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 1, further comprising at least one beachfrontamphitheater having a stage for hosting and/or showcasing differentevents, educational activities, concerts, cultural activities, sportevents, and similar content.
 37. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, further comprising at least one largescreen on which to project a video image, whereby movies, e-sports,sport events, conferences, simulcasts, live streaming of content, andeducational activities, events, may be shown.
 38. The publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, wherein thelagoon includes an illumination system, whereby use of the lagoon isfacilitated during low light hours or under enclosed structures.
 39. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 38,wherein the illumination system comprises lights located about theperiphery and beneath the surface of the water in the lagoon.
 40. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1,wherein the lagoon includes at least one dock extending from theperiphery of the lagoon toward a deeper portion of the lagoon, wherebyaccess to the deeper portions is facilitated and enables the practice ofaquatic sports.
 41. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the entertainmentcomplex is covered with a dome.
 42. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 41, wherein the dome is selected from thegroup comprising structural or inflatable domes.
 43. The publiclyaccessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 1, furthercomprising a heating system, wherein at least some of the water in thelagoon is heated.
 44. The publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex of claim 43, wherein the heating system uses at least part ofthe waste heat from an industrial or commercial cooling process.
 45. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 43,wherein the heating system is arranged and configured to increase thewater temperature in the bathing zone.
 46. The publicly accessible urbanbeach entertainment complex of claim 1, further comprising returning themake-up water into the bathing zone to control the temperature of thewater in the bathing zone.
 47. The publicly accessible urban beachentertainment complex of claim 1, wherein additional equipment isincluded in the perimeter of the lagoon to generate surface textures andmovement of the water in the form of small, aesthetic waves.
 48. Thepublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex of claim 47,wherein the aesthetic waves do not have an amplitude of more than 50 cm.49. A method for efficiently utilizing limited use land by creating apublicly accessible urban beach entertainment complex, the methodcomprising: a) selecting a site with a minimum total surface of 16,000m2, wherein the site is selected from vacant land, underutilized sites,limited use land, or land that is contiguous or nearby recreational,educational, sports, or commercial venues, has a minimum surroundingpopulation of 500.000 people within a 50-mile radius connected by roadaccess, and has a water supply with sufficient availability for use atthe site; b) constructing a centerpiece lagoon, the lagoon having abottom, a perimeter, and a surface area between 8,000 m² and 200,000 m²to recreate a tropical lifestyle look and feel, wherein a majority ofthe bottom is constructed with a flexible, plastic material, and whereinat least one portion of the lagoon further includes a zero-entry edgeresembling a natural beach edge: c) establishing at least one sand beacharea and a rest area surrounding the perimeter of the lagoon, whereinthe sand of the sand beach area has a light color thereby resembling atropical beach; d) connecting a water source to the lagoon with a watersupply system, the water supply system providing both filling and/ormake-up water for the lagoon; e) incorporate a water treatment systemfor treating water in the lagoon, wherein a. the water treatment systemis arranged and configured to utilize at least 50% less electricitycompared to a conventional swimming pool centralized filtration system,wherein the filtration capacity and filtration water volume is at least50% lower than for a conventional swimming pool filtration system thatfilters the complete water volume 4 times per day; f) delimiting atleast a portion of the publicly accessible urban beach entertainmentcomplex with a physical barrier, the barrier being arranged andconfigured to limit individual access to the complex; g) establishing atleast one ancillary facility located within the entertainment area,selected from the group of commercial, recreational, educational,cultural, residential, sports and temporary accommodation facilities; h)establishing an access control system, wherein the access control systemis arranged and configured to selectively permit entry of individualsinto at least a portion of the urban beach entertainment complex; andwhereby individual entry fees provide revenue for the urban beachentertainment complex, thereby providing an efficient use of a facilityor land that has limited use.
 50. The method of claim 49, furthercomprising creating at least one water sports zone within the lagoon,and wherein the water sports zone has a minimum water depth of at least1.8 meters at its deepest point.
 51. The method of claim 49, wherein thetype of water used from the water source is selected from the groupcomprising: fresh water, brackish water, saline water or seawater. 52.The method of claim 49, wherein the water source does not includealuminum or hydrocarbons, whereby pre-treatment of the water isminimized.
 53. The method of claim 49, further comprising covering atleast 80% of the bottom of the lagoon in the water sports zone with aflexible plastic material.
 54. The method of claim 53, wherein theplastic material is a light-colored membrane, whereby in combinationwith the minimum depth the characteristic and intense color of tropicalseas is generated.
 55. The method of claim 48, wherein the color of theplastic material ranges from white to a light blue or light brown color.56. The method of claim 49, wherein the color of the sand is selectedfrom the following colors according to the RAL color scale: RAL 9001,RAL 9002, RAL 9003, RAL 9010, RAL 9016, RAL 9018, RAL 1001, RAL 1014,and RAL
 1004. 57. The method of claim 48, wherein the plastic materialis selected from the group comprising polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene,rubbers, and polypropylene.
 58. The method of claim 49, furtherincluding forming the edges of the lagoon with curved shapes with roundcorners, whereby the lagoon resembles a natural water body.
 59. Themethod of claim 49, further including placing tropical vegetation in theurban beach entertainment complex.
 60. The method of claim 59, whereinthe tropical vegetation includes trees and plants and are located in andadjacent to the sand beach area.
 61. The method of claim 49, furtherproviding a modular treatment system for water treatment to the watercontained in the lagoon and wherein the modular treatment system has aplug and play configuration.
 62. The method of claim 49, wherein thewater treatment system is arranged and configured to: a. collect waterand storing such water in a container having a bottom able to bethoroughly cleaned by a suction device, b. during a 7 day interval,treating the water in the container by periodically adding disinfectantagents to said water to establish an ORP of at least 500 mV for a periodof time dependent on the temperature of the water being treated, c.activating the operation of mobile suction means in order to suction aportion of said water in the container containing settled solids toprevent the thickness of settled material from exceeding 3 mm, d.filtering such portion of water suctioned by the mobile suction meansand returning the filtered water to said container, whereby at least 50%less filtration capacity and water volume is filtered compared to aconventional swimming pool filtration system are utilized that requiresfiltering the complete water volume 4 times per day.
 63. The methodaccording to claim 49, further comprising designing the length and sizeof the lagoon such that, when the lagoon is subject to wind, establishesa fetch length, whereby the established fetch length encourages anatural surface wave motion similar to that of natural bodies of water.64. The method of claim 49, further comprising operating the lagoon inan essentially closed cycle manner, wherein the water volume is notsignificantly renewed through recirculation with the water source. 65.The method of claim 49, further comprising maintaining the water in thelagoon such that a minimum vertical transparency of 1.2 meters isestablished, whereby the water in the lagoon resembles the clear waterof tropical seas.
 66. The method of claim 49, further comprising addingevaporation control chemicals to the water in the lagoon, wherebyevaporation is reduced compared to natural evaporation rates.
 67. Themethod of claim 49, further comprising locating at least one accesscontrol system in the physical barrier.
 68. The method of claim 67,wherein the access control location includes a control system selectedfrom the group comprising gated entries, turnstiles, access readers,security barriers, or biometric systems.
 69. The method of claim 67,further comprising locating the access control system relative to thephysical barrier such that access to at least a predetermined portion ofthe urban beach entertainment complex is controlled.
 70. The method ofclaim 49, wherein the physical barrier comprises one or more elementsselected from the group comprising fences, walls, moats, naturalvegetation, and buildings.
 71. The method of claim 49, wherein theaccess control system is configured to allow access to at least 500people per hour into the urban beach entertainment complex.
 72. Themethod of claim 49, further comprising locating an amphitheater having astage within the urban beach entertainment complex, whereby events,educational activities, concerts, cultural activities, and sportingevents may be conducted.
 73. The method of claim 49, further comprisinglocating a video screen in the urban beach entertainment complex forshowing movies, sporting events, conferences, simulcasts, live streamingof content, and educational activities.
 74. The method of claim 49,further comprising an illumination system for the lagoon.
 75. The methodof claim 74, wherein the illumination system comprises LED underwaterstrip lights or underwater spot lights.
 76. The method of claim 49,further comprising constructing a dock in the lagoon, the dock extendingfrom a perimeter of the lagoon toward a deeper portion of the lagoon,whereby the dock enables access to the deeper portion to better enablepracticing water sports.
 77. The method of claim 49, further comprisinga dome over at least a portion of the urban beach entertainment complex.78. The method of claim 77, wherein the dome is selected from structuralor inflatable domes and is arranged and configured to be located over atleast a portion of the lagoon.
 79. The method of claim 49, furthercomprising installing an external heating system to heat water in thelagoon.
 80. The method of claim 79, wherein the external heating systemuses, at least partially, waste heat from an industrial or commercialcooling process.
 81. The method of claim 79, further comprising locatingthe heating system in the bathing zone.
 82. The method of claim 49,further comprising attracting a minimum of 100,000 annual visitors tothe urban beach recreational complex.
 83. The method of claim 49,further comprising locating third party entertainment amenities withinthe urban beach recreational complex.
 84. The method of claim 49,further comprising charging an entry fee to the urban beach recreationalcomplex in the range of $5 to $150 per individual.
 85. The method ofclaim 49, further comprising charging an entry fee to the urban beachrecreational complex in the range of $10 to $20 per individual.
 86. Themethod of claim 49, further comprising designing the lagoon toaccommodate the use of water sports that utilize small watercraft,wherein the water sports are selected from the group comprising:sailing, boating, canoeing, rowing, kayaking, water skiing, flyboarding,paddleboarding, parasailing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, kiteboarding,and kitesurfing.
 87. The method of claim 49, further comprisingestablishing the entry fee based on predetermined factors including age,number of people within groups, and seasonality.
 88. The method of claim49, wherein the entry fee may be paid on site or may be pre-purchased.89. The method of claim 49, wherein the entry fee may be part of aseasonal pass.
 90. The method of claim 49, further comprising locatingsmall wave generating equipment on the perimeter of the lagoon, thesmall wave generating equipment arranged and configured to generatewater surface textures and aesthetic waves.
 91. The method of claim 90,wherein the aesthetic waves have maximum amplitude of 50 cm.